Toxic metabolite from clove isolate of Cylindrocladium quinqueseptatum

Abstract

Cylindrocladium Quinqueseptatum Boedijn Reitma causes seedling blight and extensive defoliation on a wide variety of plants and is widely distributed in the humid tropics.It is a serious pathogen of Eugenia caryophyllata in Sri lankaand has been identified as a potential lpathogen on Hevea brasileensis in the eastern Hemispher .All cloveisolates;IMI 342173 (rt),359378(Aw),359379(Rw)and 359380(Kp) of c.quinqueseptatum tested were found to be capable of secreting toxic substances to the growing medium.Toxic culture filtrates proved to be thermostagbl4e(up to 100C)and host specific.The type and the size of the lesions lproduced by the crude toxin of different isolates varied markedly.Isolate,Rt produced the largest lesions (Highest score) indicationg its aggressive nature in toxin production while Aw and Rw isolates showed a mild reaction.When the reaction of Hevea clones towards the crude toxin was considered three main clusters ofclones were distinguished through cluster analysis indicationg the marked variation of Hevea clones grown in the Eastern Hemisphere in their sensitivity to the crude toxin.The possibility of making use of this toxin as a tool in screening Hevea populations for cylindrocladium leaf spot disease has also been discussed.